If it looks like crap, smells like crap and attracts flies like crap, it's crap or in the case of what has been going on in Trumbull County with the battle for state Sen. Marc Dann's seat, it's political crap.

And when the Democratic Party leaders meet Friday to decide who to recommend as Dann's successor, they'll be covered in it if they do what has been widely reported include the name of Capri Cafaro on the list. The recommendations will be submitted to the Ohio Senate Democratic caucus, which will make the appointment.

Why crap? Because as Dann, who will be sworn in as Ohio attorney general in January, has been straining to explain, he is supporting Cafaro because she is eminently qualified not because he received a ton of money from the Cafaro family. It's a sure bet that Dann's justification will be echoed by the Trumbull County Executive Committee when it tries to defend its action. Also expected to be included on the list are state Rep. Sandra Stabile Harwood and former state senator and state representative Tony Latell.

Capri Cafaro, who two years ago ran for the 14th District congressional seat and this year for the 13th District congressional seat, has never held public office and has never held a real job. Does the phrase "tissue thin rxc3x83xc2xa9sumxc3x83xc2xa9" ring a bell?